Big waves slammed the Southern California coastline on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. Strong surf is expected to continue through the week. A 40-foot boat washed up at Dockweiler State Beach. (Photo courtesy of Los Angeles County lifeguard spokesman Pono Barnes.)

A surfer rides inside a wave just south of the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach on Wednesday morning January 9, 2019, as a large swell moved onshore with waves as high as 10-12 feet in some places. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Big waves slammed the Southern California coastline on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. Strong surf is expected to continue through the week. A 40-foot boat washed up at Dockweiler State Beach. (Photo courtesy of Los Angeles County lifeguard spokesman Pono Barnes.)

A body boarder rides inside a large wave just south of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach on Wednesday morning January 9, 2019, as a large swell moved onshore with waves as high as 10-12 feet in some places. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A surfer bails off a wave just south of the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach on Wednesday morning January 9, 2019, as a large swell moved onshore with waves as high as 10-12 feet in some places. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A body boarder rides a large wave just south of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach on Wednesday morning January 9, 2019, as a large swell moved onshore with waves as high as 10-12 feet in some places. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A body boarder rides down the face of a wave just south of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach on Wednesday morning January 9, 2019, as a large swell moved onshore with waves as high as 10-12 feet in some places. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Body and skim boarders stand on the beach just south of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach on Wednesday morning January 9, 2019, as large waves pound the beach as a swell moved onshore with waves as high as 10-12 feet in some places. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A body boarder looks up at the closing wave as a large swell moved onshore Wednesday morning January 9, 2019, just south of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A body boarder rides inside a large wave just south of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach on Wednesday morning January 9, 2019, as a large swell moved onshore with waves as high as 10-12 feet in some places. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Big waves slammed the Southern California coastline on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. Strong surf is expected to continue through the week. Waves crash onto Capistrano Beach in Dana Point, an area that has been destroyed by the sea in recent years. (Photo by Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Big waves slammed the Southern California coastline on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. Strong surf is expected to continue through the week. Waves crash onto Capistrano Beach in Dana Point, an area that has been destroyed by the sea in recent years. (Photo by Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Big waves slammed the Southern California coastline on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. Strong surf is expected to continue through the week. Waves crash onto Capistrano Beach in Dana Point, an area that has been destroyed by the sea in recent years. (Photo by Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Beach goers walk along the sand berm just south of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach on Wednesday morning January 9, 2019, as large waves pound the beach as a swell moved onshore with waves as high as 10-12 feet in some places. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A big swell showed up off the Southern California coastline on Wednesday, Jan. 9, bringing strong surf and dangerous conditions for beachgoers.

Waves upwards of 10 to 12 feet were hitting some areas as the swell moved into the region, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a high surf advisory in Orange County, Los Angeles County and San Diego.

Barnes said workers were hauling it up further on the sand. The boat owner is responsible for hiring a company to get it off the beach.

“The vessel is too big and the surf is too big to haul it out” to the sea, he said, noting it could have damage to the underside.

He said no one was aboard when the boat washed ashore in 5-to-7-foot surf.

A small-craft advisory by the NWS warning boats off shore is also in place.

Surf’s up

State Park Superintendent Kevin Pearsall said waves were 10 to 12 feet high off Bolsa Chica, adding that they were the biggest he’s seen in a few years.

In Seal Beach, waves were in the 5-to-7-foot range, with nearby Surfside getting 10-footers, said lifeguard chief Joe Bailey.

A few people near the Huntington Beach Pier needed assistance from lifeguards, said Marine Safety Lt. Claude Panis.

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One surfer, Panis said, needed a rescue ski assist after “he paddled out and realized he bit off more than he could chew.”

A surfer rides inside a wave just south of the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach on Wednesday morning January 9, 2019, as a large swell moved onshore with waves as high as 10-12 feet in some places. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Another rescue came when a kayak fisherman was uncomfortable with the size of the surf and asked for a tow to shore.

“He was uneasy being out there,” Panis said, adding that the surf is “definitely up.”

Laylan Connelly started as a journalist in 2002 after earning a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. Through the years, she has covered several cities for The Orange County Register, starting as a beat reporter in Irvine before focusing on coastal cities such as Newport Beach, Dana Point and Laguna Beach. In 2007, she was selected for a prestigious Knight New Media fellowship focusing on digital media at UC Berkeley, where she learned skills to adapt to the ever-changing online landscape. Using a web-based approach, she turned her love for the ocean into a full-time gig as the paper’s beaches reporter. The unique beat allows her to delve into coastal culture by covering everything from the countless events dotting the 42 miles of coastline, to the business climate of the surf industry, to the fascinating wildlife that shows up on the shores. Most importantly, she takes pride in telling stories of the people who make the beaches so special, whether they are surfers using the ocean to heal, or the founders of major surf brands who helped spawn an entire culture, or people who tirelessly fight to keep the coast pristine and open for all to enjoy. She’s a world traveler who loves to explore the slopes during winter months or exotic surf spots around the globe. When she’s not working, or maybe while she's researching a story, you can find her longboarding at her favorite surf spots at San Onofre or Doheny.